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The Glossary
Copacabana Travel Guide
Resting on the shores of the world's highest lake, Lake Titicaca, is Copacabana, whose silver sands are encrusted in a turquoise lake. The town of Copacabana is situated between Mount Calvario and Mount Nino Calvario. Fed by the glacier melt, the waters of the beach are cold throughout the year. Despite the cold waters, the weather is usually sunny!
The shore is dotted with colorful stalls selling local handicrafts, panpipes, ponchos and alpaca jumpers, thus making it the shopper's paradise. One can hire kayaks and paddle out to Isla del Sol, although in summer, lightning storms can catch people in their unawares. One can also explore the scary Inca ruins.
Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world, is also the largest freshwater lake in South America. It borders both Peru and Bolivia. The ancient Inca Empire once flourished on the banks of this lake. Even today, one can explore the place for Inca ruins, especially on the island of Isla del Sol. Today, it's inhabited by the Aymara people, whose life is influenced by the Incas.
The Isla del Sol or Island of the Sun is the largest island on Lake Titicaca and is considered to be sacred. Legend has it that it was here that the Sun God's children, Adam and Eve, rose from Lake Titicaca. They are considered the founders of the Incan Empire.
The island offers a breathtaking view and the hills are razed for farming purposes, as the main village, Yumani, rests here. The 200 Inca steps are aligned to the steep terrain and at the top is a spring fountain considered to be sacred. The beauty lies in the fact that there aren't any vehicles in the island and one has to travel on foot.
On the north of Isla del Sol is the village of Challapampa, with a maze of rooms. The scared rock, Rock of Puma, on which the Inca civilization was born, rests here. Bano del Inca has a small museum, displaying some of the archeological findings of the Inca times. Adjacent to the museum is a tunnel containing a spring, in which the Inca kings bathed.
One of the main attractions in Copacabana is its 16th-century Cathedral of Virgin Mary. The statue of Virgin Mary carved in wood dates back to the Incan times! The statue is set on a pedestal of silver with a gold crown studded with precious stones adorning the crown. The Virgin Mary grants wishes and blessings to seafarers and to couples in need of children. Within the cathedral is a museum showcasing cult objects and chalices, made of silver and gold, studded with semi-precious stones. The museum is also adorned by replicas of the Virgin, the baby Jesus' cradle, flowers, porcelain with Chinese and French paintings, and designs carved on the bones of whales. The chapel is done in the Baroque style with suspended altars and filigrees in Cedar wood.
Indeed, Copacabana and its surroundings are sites where time stands still.
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